Carolina Hurricanes: 3 potential general manager candidates

The Carolina Hurricanes have a vacancy at general manager after the promotion of Ron Francis. Here are three candidates.

New Carolina Hurricanes owner Thomas Dundon is making his stamp on the franchise. And he doesn’t care who he has to step on to do so. Though Dundon didn’t fire general manager Ron Francis, he did promote him to a President of Hockey Operations position and the next GM will report directly to the owner. So connect the dots.

Now, Francis did a nice job as the Canes general manager. Carolina has improved each year since he was hired in 2014. Despite dealing with inferior resources compared to their competitors, the Hurricanes have been competitive as of late.

More from Puck Prose

However, Francis never made the bold moves contenders have to make. Trading for (and more importantly, extending) Scott Darling was a very bold move and though he’s less than 40 games into his Hurricanes career, that move really hurts.

It’s weird to see a team with a vacancy at general manager during the regular season. Carolina probably (and hopefully) has someone in mind already. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Hurricanes strike quickly, preparing for an offseason during which numerous general managers could be replaced.

Doing this move now suggests the Hurricanes are targeting someone who’s already available. So let’s take a look at three potential candidates.

1. Dean Lombardi

When you think of available general managers, Dean Lombardi is the first name who comes to mind. He won two Stanley Cups with the Los Angeles Kings. And if Dundon is going to be a hands-on owner, he can help make sure Lombardi doesn’t make bad deals.

However, the way his tenure ended with the Los Angeles Kings is concerning. Lombardi made a ton of bad deals, which led to them missing the postseason in two of the previous three seasons. There’s also the Mike Richards fiasco and he couldn’t have handled the Slava Voynov situation worse.

Again, Lombardi might not be an awful choice if Dundon is willing to tell him “No Dean, giving this aging player an extension with a no-movement clause is a really dumb idea”. But as a rookie owner, he probably wants someone he can trust. Nothing Lombardi has done since winning that second Stanley Cup proves he can be trusted. Good thing Dundon just wants a figurehead general manager!

2. Kyle Dubas or Mark Hunter

Now there’s the kind of bold move Dundon would probably love to make. The Toronto Maple Leafs have the Golden State Warriors of NHL front offices. Not only do they have Lou Lamoriello leading the group, they also have Kyle Dubas and Mark Hunter.

Both have shown they have the chops to be the next general manager. Oh, and Lou’s contract runs out after this season. So the Maple Leafs are going to have a fascinating, tough decision to make very soon. The Hurricanes could wait for that situation to resolve itself and jump on whoever inevitably wants to get out of Toronto.

The downside? Carolina would have to wait. Why move Francis to President of Hockey Operations now if you’re not going to strike immediately? It would be a very risky move, albeit one that could pay off.

A huge question to ponder – would Dubas or Hunter leave the Leafs for a figurehead job? Especially with other jobs likely being open this offseason?

3. Julien BriseBois

Julien BriseBois is a bit of an unknown, in that he’s never been in a general manager role in the NHL. However, he’s done a good job in the front offices of the Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning. With both, BriseBois has served in a unique role, serving with the NHL team as well as acting as the AHL affiliate’s general manager.

Next: Each NHL Team's New Year's Resolution

BriseBois is a very smart hockey guy. He has a ton of experience in the front office. Dundon is going to want someone who’s experienced in the front office, since he’s relatively new as an owner. BriseBois has been deserving of a shot for a while, even if it is just as a figurehead. He could bring a unique resume to a front office needing change.

Home / Carolina Hurricanes